Paper guide for listing calculators



June 5, 1956 H. J. DUKE PAPER GUIDE FOR LISTING CALCULATORS 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 27, 1953 INVENTOR HARVIE J. DUKE fik'z A ORNEYJune 5, 1956 H. J. DUKE PAPER GUIDE FOR LISTING CALCULATORS 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 27, 1955 mm A w 1km mm Q V I I: MN 2 INVENTORHARVIE J. DUKE BY A ORNE'Y United States Fatent Q PAP R GUIDE FOR. IST NCALCULATOR Harvie J. Duke, Butler, N. J assignor to Monroe CalculatingMachine Company, Qrang'e, N. 1., a corporation of Delaware Applicationnu ry- 9 3 Se ia N 33 563 4 Claims. (Cl. 197-127) The invention relatesto an improved combination line finder and paper guide to facilitate thepositioning of a work sheet or paper tape upon the printing platen of alisting calculator.

The line finder and paper guide of this invention comprises atransparent strip, preferably of plastic material, extending the lengthof the platen and normally positioned with its lower edge adjacent theplaten above the printing e- T e li e nde and pape guide s manual y adjua le rwardly nd dow war ly of the pla e to bring a scoring mark thereoninto position to indicate the printing line and to permit a work sheetor paper tape to be fed thereunder to the proper position. The linefinder and guide is latched in its manually adjusted position, therebyrelieving the operator of the necessity of holding it while adjustingthe work sheet or tape to proper position. Upon initial operation of themachine, the line finder and guide is automatically released and springrestored to normal position, out of the path of movement of the typebars, to hold the paper against the platen for the printing operation.Thereafter, removal of a work sheet will automatically move the linefinder and guide to its downward and forward latched position to permitthe insertion of another work sheet. The invention, however, will bestbe understood from the following description with reference to theaccompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of the line finder and paperguide with associated parts;

Fig. 2 is a right side elevation of the platen carriage and the platenfeed devices;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the carriage showing the linefinder and paper guide in normal position; and,

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing the line finder and guideadjusted to position to indicate the printing line and to permit theinsertion of a work sheet or paper tape.

The improved line finder and paper guide has been disclosed asassociated with a printing platen mounted in the shiftable carriage of alisting calculator such as, for example, disclosed in Patent No.2,323,205, issued to Loring P. Crosman on June 29, 1943. It will beobvious, however, that the line finder and guide is equally adaptablefor operation in conjunction with a non-shiftable printing platen.

The line finder and paper guide comprises a transparent plastic strip 1extending the length of the rotatable printing platen 3. An anglereenforcing metal strip 5 is suitably secured at the top and front ofplastic strip 1. The upper arm of a downwardly extending supportinglever 7 is rigidly bolted to each end of the plastic strip 1 and anglestrip 5. Levers 7 are pivotally mounted on the inner faces of the endplates 9 and 11 respectively of the carriage and normally a spring 13attached to the upper arm of each lever 7 urges the line finder andguide clockwise to the position of Figs. 1 and 3 with the lower arm ofeach lever 7 in engagement with a stop pin 15. When in normal position,the lower knife edge of plastic strip 1 "ice 2 is positioned a slightdistance forwardly from platen 3 to hold the paper, such as a work sheet17, snugly against the platen for a printing operation as shown in Fig.3 and above the printing line out of the path of movement of the typebar s (not shown).

A forwardly extending latch arm 19 is freely mounted on platen feed bailshaft 21 adjacent the inner faces of each of carriage end plates 9an d11. Each latch arm 19 is biased clockwise by a spring 23 which isattached at one end to a lug 19a of arm 19 and at its other end to acollar 25 which is fast on shaft 21. When the parts are in normalposition, a lug 19b at the forward free end of each latch arm 19 engagesthe underside of a nose 731 at the lower end of each supporting arm 7.

To insert a work sheet or tape into the machine, the operator firstmanually moves the line finder and guide counterclockwise to theposition shown in Fig. 4; This will bring plastic strip 1 forwardly anddownwardly out of the platen to position the scoring mark 1a to indicatethe printing line and to provide room for passage of the paper betweenthe strip and the platen. When moved to this position the nose 7a ofeach lever 7 will be brought to the rear of lug 19b of the associatedlatch arm 19. Theaters arm 1? wi b Pe i d e k is mo ment by springs 23to position lugs 19b above the associated noses 7a, thereby latching theline finder and guide in counterclockwise position as shown in Fig. 4.The paper is inserted at the rear of platen 3 which is rotated by theusual twirler knob (not shown) to feed the paper to proper positionbetween the platen and lower paper guide 27, pressure rollers 29 andplastic strip 1. Upon initial operation of the machine, the line finderand guide is automatically released and restored by springs 13 from theposition shown in Fig. 4 to that shown in Fig. 3 as follows.

The platen feed bail 31 is supported at its ends respectively by cranks33 and 35 which are fast on shaft 21. A roller 37 at the end of one armof a lever 39 engages the underside of bail 31 and normally holds it inthe clockwise position shown in Figs. 3 and 4 against the tension of aspring 41 which is attached to one arm of crank 33. Upon operation ofthe machine, before the printing operation, lever 39 is rocked clockwisefrom the position shown in Figs. 3 and 4 and after the printingoperation the lever is restored counterclockwise, which operation linespaces the platen. This operation of lever 39 may be effected asdisclosed in Patent No. 1,946,572 issued on February 13, 1934 to LoringP. Crosman. Upon clockwise movement of lever 39, spring 41 will beeffective to rock crank 33, bail 31, crank 35, shaft 21 and collars 25counterclockwise. This counterclockwise movement will move a platen feedpawl 43 (Fig. 2) idly above ratchet wheel 45 and into position to engagethe ratchet wheel upon movement of the parts to normal. Each collar 25has a pin 47 positioned to the rear of lug 19a of the associated latcharm 19. Therefore, upon counterclockwise movement of collars 25, thepins 47 will be moved into engagement with the associated lugs 19a,thereby rocking the latch arms 19 counterclockwise to move lugs 19b fromabove the noses 7a of the supporting levers 7. The line finder and guidewill, therefore, be released and springs 13 will move it from theposition shown in Fig. 4 to the position shown in Fig. 3 to hold thepaper snugly against platen 3 for the printing operation. After theprinting operation, lever 39 is rocked counterclockwise as heretoforenoted, thereby rocking bail 31 and cranks 33 and 35 clockwise to thenormal position shown in Figs. 3 and 4. This operation will result infeed pawl 43 (Fig. 2) engaging a tooth of ratchet wheel 45 thereby linespacing the platen.

From the inspection of Fig. 4, it will be seen that, upon removal fromthe machine, the paper will be brought into engagement with the upperedge of plastic strip 1, and as it is pulled upwardly the line finderand guide will be rocked from the position shown in Fig. 3, to theposition shown in Fig. 4, in which position it will be latched therebypermitting insertion of another work sheet or paper tape. It will beseen, therefore, that except for the initial manual adjustment of theline finder and guide, it is automatically moved to position to permitthe insertion of the paper and upon initial operation of the machine itis automatically restored to hold the paper in proper position for theprinting operation.

I claim:

1. In a listing calculator, the combination with a platen; of a movablepaper guide automatically adjustable forwardly from a position adjacentsaid platen in response to removal of a work sheet from the machine,spring means for urging said guide toward its position adjacent saidplaten, a latch for holding said guide against the urge of said springmeans upon movement to its forward position, and means operable uponoperation of the machine for releasing said latch.

2. In a listing calculator, the combination with a platen; of a movablepaper guide and line finder automatically adjustable from a positionadjacent said platen to a position to indicate a printing line inresponse to removal of 2 a work sheet from the machine, spring means forurging said guide toward its position adjacent said platen, a latch forholding said guide against the urge of said spring means upon movementto its line indicating position, and means operable upon operation ofthe machine for releasing said latch.

3. In a listing calculator, the combination with a platen; of a paperguide and line finder extending longitudinally of said platen, a leverattached at each end of said guide and pivotally mounted to permitmovement of said guide to a position adjacent said platen, and to permitmove ment forwardly and downwardly to a position to indicate a printingline automatically in response to removal of a work sheet from themachine, spring means for urging said guide to its position adjacentsaid platen, latching means for holding said guide against the tensionof said spring means upon movement to its forward and downward position,and means operable upon operation of the machine for releasing saidlatch.

4. The invention according to claim 3 wherein the latching meansincludes a shoulder on one of said levers and a pivotally mounted armhaving a lug adapted to engage said shoulder.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

